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Science

The Open Academy Science Faculty is committed to a high quality science education for all students. We love science and we want to inspire our students to love it too.

The faculty consists of seven members of specialist teaching staff: Stuart Murray, Nick Stephen, Leila Molloy, Joshua Dunne and Jason Wilgress. We have classroom support from a highly skilled Science Technician, Nigel Hartley.

Every member of staff is a highly trained expert in their own field but also experienced in working outside their specialism. We are fortunate to have specialists in biology, chemistry, physics and psychology.

We run a five year science curriculum that builds our students’ knowledge and skills, continually revisiting topics, adding complexity and depth each year. This enables all students to receive a well-rounded science education and allows those with a keen interest in science to become specialists in biology, chemistry or physics. Details of the curriculum and resources we use are available

We offer a range of GCSE qualifications in Combined Science, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. These cater for students of all abilities and follow the AQA Science schemes of work.

We also offer Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Psychology at AS and A2 level as part of the OA6 Sixth Form. Again, these qualifications follow the AQA schemes of work and assessment to allow for continuity from Year 7 through to Year 13.

The Open Academy’s Environment Specialism is part of the Science Faculty. Students take part in a variety of environmentally themed activities including Science Club, The Green Team and our Allotment project. We hold an annual Environment Day and currently hold the Green Flag Award in recognition of our environmental work.

We also love to expand the horizons of our students by giving them an insight into the place of science in our world. As such we take students on numerous science-themed trips, invite outside speakers into the Academy and offer enriching STEM (Science, technology, engineering and Mathematics) opportunities.

Curriculum Section

Our aim is to capture the imagination of our students as soon as they enter the Open Academy and foster a love for Science through enthusiastic, creative and, most of all, fun lessons. Our world is increasingly dominated by Science, the technology it generates and the ethical dilemmas that come with it. We want our students to leave the Open Academy able to make decisions that will affect their lives from an informed scientific point of view.

Year 7 students start with a project based curriculum that covers what we think are the key concepts in science as well as teaching them how to design, carry out, analyse and evaluate science investigations; preparing them for the exciting practical work they will be carrying out throughout their career at the Open Academy. The course builds on their subject knowledge from Key Stage 2 and uses the inspirational examples of male and female scientists, such as Albert Einstein and Marie Curie, to enthuse a love of science in all of our students.

In year 8 we start to introduce some of the more complicated ideas in science and this builds each year until Year 11, when our students will be ready for their GCSE exams. The curriculum has been designed by the Science Faculty at the Open Academy based on a ‘spiral’ approach. This means that we start teaching the basics of a topic, such as cells, and then revisit it each year, adding more complexity and depth each time. The five year curriculum covers all aspects of both the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum and that of Key Stage 4.

By Year 11, our students will have completed the AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy course, achieving grades 1-9. They will complete a number of ‘Required Practicals’, throughout their 5 years here, that are assessed in their final exams. Students making good progress can chose separate sciences as a year 10 option to complete AQA Biology, Chemistry and Physics GCSEs.

Open Academy offers AQA Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Psychology at A-Level. This allows students to feed their burgeoning fascination for science by delving deeper into science and its place in the world. They are the perfect courses for those students looking to move on to scientific study at University. The combination of qualifications we offer provides an excellent springboard into a career in forensics amongst many other higher education choices.

As you would expect the Open Academy Science Department is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities (including first class ICT provision) that will allow students to maximise their potential, spark their imaginations and perhaps become the next Charles Darwin or Rosalind Franklin.

Useful websites

Key Stage 3

Details about Key Stage 3 national curriculum content can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/335174/SECONDARY_national_curriculum_-_Science_220714.pdf

Key Stage 4

For general information about our exam provider AQA:

http://www.aqa.org.uk/

Details about the GCSE Combined Science – Trilogy course can be found here:

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/combined-science-trilogy-8464

Details about the GCSE Separate Sciences in biology, chemistry and physics can be found here:

Biology – http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/biology-8461

Chemistry – http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/chemistry-8462